Sunday’s Sermons: Why Having a President that Believes in Evolution is Important

In Thursday’s editorial I pointed out the horrifying possibility that Michelle Bachmann could win the Republican nomination. This is terrifying for many different reasons I won’t get into just in the interest of length, but I will single out Bachmann’s “War on Science.” She doesn’t believe in climate crisis, stem cell research, homosexuality (her husband compared homosexuals to barbarians), or evolution. In fact, it’s hard to get most of the GOP candidates to give a straight answer on climate crisis (only Jon Huntsman has unequivocally said it was real) and evolution.

The most common response to the question of evolution is “Why is this important to be able to lead the country?” That’s the default answer given by everyone from proud evolution-denier Mike Huckabee to evolution fence-sitter Chris Christie. Over and over these candidates laugh at the question’s relevance to being able to be president. And if you consider the question just on its own terms–as something that purely exists in a bubble–you could make the case that it’s not important. Evolution probably won’t come up when dealing with how to fix the debt or solve climate crisis or whether to ban gay marriage…except that it will come up in EVERYTHING.

Human beings make thousands of decisions everyday that we’re not even aware of. Our subconscious mind makes infinitely more decisions than our conscious mind. Everything from what color is our favorite to what brand of Baked Beans we pick out at the grocery store to what kind of hair color we look for in a mate is largely a subconscious process where we just gravitate to one thing over the other. Our predispositions and tastes are important in everything, just as our personal beliefs are ripple out and affect our views on everything. Someone who doesn’t believe in evolution is telling you a lot about the way they think.

Someone that is naturally inclined to disregard the science behind evolution will be naturally inclined to disregard other facts. People grow up believing in creationism and they either change into someone who’s able to process new information about the creation of the universe or they don’t. It’s the same thought process that would be used to correct your opinion on any issue once new stimulus comes in.

Often times evolution-deniers say “The science just isn’t in yet on evolution. There are still many holes in that theory,” but there AREN’T anymore. A few decades ago you could make that case, but there are less holes everyday. The fact that they aren’t willing or able to see the new stimulus coming in speaks volumes about how they would process new information on climate crisis, stem cell research, or the Iraq War not having weapons of mass destruction.

Which is why it’s no surprise that there’s a huge overlap between those that don’t believe in evolution and those that don’t believe in global warming, stem cell research, or that Saddam never had any ties to terrorism or WMDs. When you get someone into the White House who doesn’t believe in one, you’re most likely getting someone who doesn’t believe in any of them. I don’t think I even have to say the name George W. Bush.

So evolution is a relevant question to presidential candidates or even governors. Ironically, those that don’t believe in evolution are the kind of people it might not apply to.